In recent years, an additive manufacturing apparatus for producing a 3D object by laminating a modeling material is attracting attention. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of supporting product manufacture aimed at enabling receipt of products that does not depend on the geographical position of a supplier, let alone order of products by a client.
According to the method of supporting product manufacture disclosed in Patent Document 1, a communication system is provided with a client computer of the client, a manufacturing computer for controlling a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing products on the basis of manufacture data, and a server computer of a provider who uses the manufacturing apparatus to manufacture and sell products, connected to each other. In the communication system, the server computer transmits to the manufacturing computer the manufacture data for manufacturing products according to an order of the client from the client computer. The manufacturing computer is installed at a location convenient for the client (e.g. the client's house), alongside with the manufacturing apparatus and the client computer. The manufacturing computer receives the manufacture data and operates the manufacturing apparatus to manufacture products according to the order of the client.